


Cheesecake

by louderswine



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: Cullen licks the side of a dull knife, Gen, Pre-Series, Roommates, Templars (Dragon Age), That sometimes bothers me so I thought I'd warn against it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-29 04:50:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5116247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/louderswine/pseuds/louderswine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a Templar recruit, Cullen is serious and studious while Alistair, his roommate, is anything but. However, one night, they find common ground in an unlikely food item.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cheesecake

**Author's Note:**

> For Eden. Written based on some rp threads that we have together.

It was the middle of the night as Cullen followed Alistair into the empty kitchens. Training had been rough that day, nearly breaking him down into a sweaty mess and the brothers still wanted more out of him. They always pushed and shoved him, maybe it was because he was new or came from a farm of all places, but either way, he felt like he was harder on him than they were the others.

“What did they want us to do exactly?” Cullen asked Alistair.

When Cullen had arrived to train with the Order, Cullen had expected his roommate to be an experienced and noble knight. He thought it would be someone he could look up to, who would guide him through difficult times. Instead, he got Alistair. Not that there was anything wrong with Alistair, besides the fact that he whined, screamed, and liked to cause a general disarray that frustrated the brothers and sisters to no end.

“Take inventory,” Alistair said. “They want us to count every bean, twice.”

“Aren’t there servants whose job this is?” Cullen asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Alistair gasped in mock surprise. “What? And deny us young recruits the pleasure of doing it ourselves? I think not, Ser Cullen. I think not indeed.”

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Cullen said, “I cannot believe I believed you. This isn’t official business, is it? You tricked me.”

“You know, I feel terrible for that, but while you’re here, could you keep watch? I’ll only be a moment in the larder. I swear it.”

“Gluttonous oaf,” he huffed. “Fine, I’ll keep watch, but only because if we get caught then we’ll both get in trouble in the end.”

“Oh, thank you, Ser Cullen. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

“Just make it quick.”

Turning his back on the kitchen, Cullen leaned against the doorframe, squinting out into the darkness for any moment. He could hear Alistair fumbling about behind him, knocking over chairs and pots. It surprised Cullen that the whole temple hadn’t woken from the amount of noise the other boy was making.

Another loud clang sounded, followed by silence. Finding it odd that Alistair was being silent, Cullen glanced over his shoulder to see that Alistair had knocked the lid off a serving tray. On it sat a perfectly round cake that looked like a wheel of cheese.

“It’s so beautiful,” Alistair said, a hand going up to cover his mouth as he stared at the cake in awe. “I think this is cheesecake.”

“Obviously,” Cullen said, staring at it a bit longingly from his post. “Does it taste like cheese?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never had a piece of it before. Do you think we should?”

“Should what?” Cullen asked with a scowl, guessing at what Alistair was suggesting.

“Have a bite. We could cut a piece, push it together, no one would know.”

“We would. The larder is one thing, but this was clearly put aside for someone.”

“Look at it, though! Just stare at its beauty. ‘Eat me. You know you want to.’ Do you hear that? I think I heard it calling.”

Cullen rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t stop staring at the cake on the table. Abandoning his post, he wandered over to where Alistair stood. He licked his lips, admitting that it did look delicious, never having such foods in Honnleath.

“Just a small sliver,” Cullen said as he grabbed a knife, “but we have to take no more than that.”

“Deal!” Alistair exclaimed gleefully, dancing beside Cullen as if he was going to wet himself.

Taking the knife, Cullen carefully sliced into it, making the smallest piece that he could. Then he pushed the two sides together and used the knife to spread the cream over his incision. Without thinking, Cullen licked the excess off the side of the dull blade and froze.

“This-” He tried to speak but found words couldn’t quite come to him. “This is the most amazing food item that I have ever tasted. The Maker himself must have created it.”

“You think so?”

Picking up the piece that Cullen had cut, Alistair took a bite of the cheesecake. His entire face lit up into pure glee before he devoured it whole. He barely noticed the glare that Cullen was giving him as he licked his fingertips.

“That was good,” Alistair hummed.

“What about my share?” Cullen growled at him. “Now I need to cut more.”

“Oh! I want more, too! Give me another piece!”

Cullen cut himself another piece then another for Alistair. However, it didn’t end there, as both couldn’t resist having more. They hummed happily, grinning at each other while they stuffed their faces full.

The two continued, barely hearing the footsteps behind them until the cheesecake was gone and someone had grabbed them by their ears. The grand cleric stood above them, a scowl on her face while she dragged them back to their rooms so that she could scold the two of them. She threatened and yelled, going on about visitors and the like.

Both boys stood there with their heads hung. Cullen looked fearful, pale as he shook underneath the woman’s gaze. Alistair, on the other hand, rolled his eyes at her rantings, though he didn’t say anything aloud since the grand cleric refused to allow him to get a word into the conversation.

When she finished, the grand cleric left in a frustrated swirl of her Chanrty robes, leaving them with the promise of no supper. Cullen began to shake harder, his shoulders trembling. Alistair reached out as if to comfort him until a burst of snorting, bubbling laughter erupted from Cullen, and the boy fell over due to the fit, which only worried Alistair more.

“You-You’re making a sound,” Alistair said in concern. “Did I break you? Are you broken? You’ve never made that noise before.”

Cullen’s laughter died down slightly, so he could stare up at Alistair. “I’m laughing.”

“Oh, oh, is that what that was?” Alistair asked while sitting on the floor next to Cullen. “I thought you were imitating a pig with all the snorting you were doing.”

“I bet your laugh isn’t any better. Never heard it, so I can’t judge, though.”

“I laugh all the time.”

“No, you don’t. You release this cold, bitter sound after you make something akin to a joke. That’s not laugh at all.”

Alistair looked surprised for a moment before he covered it with a grin. “Then tell me what you’re laughing at so I might join you.”

“Well, I was sure I was going to be sent back to the farm for sure this time, but all I could think was how red her face was. I thought her head might explode at any minute then when she left...” Cullen shrugged. “I found it funny.”

A small chuckled escaped Alistiar’s lips and he eased himself down so that he could lie next to Cullen. He glanced over at the other boy, noticing him staring at him with a small smile on his face. Alistair returned it, his first genuine smile towards Cullen.

“You’re not as serious as I thought,” Alistair admitted.

“Oh, no?” Cullen snorted. “Well, with my cover gone, it seems my only option is to kill you.”

“And sarcastic. How do you say all that with a straight face?”

“Practice. I have three siblings. If I wish to poke any fun, it has to be stealthy or I’ll end up shoveling out the barn.”

“Can you teach me?”

Cullen laughed and placed his arms under his head. “It’s not something you can just learn. Besides, then everyone will start taking you seriously. You don’t want that.”

“Well, then I’m just going to look for it then when I hear you make a joke, I’ll laugh and everyone will know that you’re funny.”

“Or think you’re an idiot.”

“Everyone already does.”

“I don’t.” Cullen paused then added, “All the time.”

“Thanks. I- It means a lot to me that you-”

“Just take the compliment, Alistair. Simply take the compliment.”

Alistair laughed and mimicked Cullen to place his hands behind his head. He couldn’t keep his eyes open after all the excitement, and the sound of him snoring lightly soon filled the room. Not that Cullen minded as he had passed out a moment before to begin muttering under his breath. The two slept peacefully, curled together, neither caring that the floor was cold or hard, both just relieved to have finally found a friend in the lonely Chantry.


End file.
